


Electric (Prequel to Who Waits For Love)

by lmaohae



Series: Who Waits For Love [1]
Category: SHINee, Super Junior
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-16 14:00:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16087565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lmaohae/pseuds/lmaohae
Summary: Before the pain, there is pleasure.Taemin settles in his new room on the third floor of the college's dormitory, and very apathetically awaits the arrival of the new student. He isn't looking forward to sharing his living space with a stranger, especially since he's been given the responsibility of showing the new student around. Or at least hethinkshe isn't looking forward to it. However, in walks scrawny, youthful, redheaded Hyukjae, changing his mind. To Taemin, Hyukjae becomes someone who first gets a hold of half the blond's room, and then his whole heart.Unfortunately, this isn't a love story.





	1. The Stimulus

**Author's Note:**

> **TRIGGER WARNING: COARSE LANGUAGE**  
>  If you haven't already guessed, this piece is titled "Electric" because that's the track that comes before "Who Waits For Love" on SHINee's album, The Story of Light. The lyrics of Electric also fit the theme of this piece, so I highly encourage you to search it up before reading this. In Who Waits For Love, I gave Hyukjae and Donghae's story a background to give readers an idea of what led Hyukjae to his plight, but felt that I didn't quite give Taemin a proper backstory. I hope this piece develops the history between Taemin and Hyukjae better (to prepare you for the sequel) and explains why Taemin's view of Donghae later leads to his resentment towards the latter.
> 
> Also, this piece is likely going to be written as a chaptered fic, but I'll try my best to keep it succinct. There will most likely be three chapters in total, and I plan to add the other two chapters later, one chapter a week. Let me know what you think of it in the comments so I have a better idea of how to draft out the final sequel.

     Class was dismissed, marking the end of the first week of school. Taemin gathered his things and swiftly made his way towards the exit; no goodbyes, no see-you-next-weeks, nothing. Despite it only being the first week he had already carved some kind of name out for himself when he accidentally let slip to a classmate that he, in his own words, "swings both ways", which also meant the start of him being a loner. News of a freshman's sexual orientation coming to light always spread like wildfire in this college, even if it didn't affect anyone else in any particular way. Luckily for Taemin, he had already been exposed to the life of solitude and was used to it by now. Being ostracised for being Asian in high school had, for once, become useful to him. He quickened his pace, parting the crowd in the hallway like some sort of modern day Moses.

     Arriving in front of Room 304 several hundred steps later, Taemin punched in the passcode to the front door's digital lock and let himself in, slamming the door behind him. He kicked off his shoes and dropped his bag onto the floor before throwing himself onto the bed face down, groaning. He hated college already. How could he not, when his first week of school had already been made hell after the news of his sexuality spread to the sophomores on his floor of the college's dormitory? There was never a day he could stroll through the corridors without being called some sort of pejorative name. It made him miss America all the more, where he could openly be himself and not a single person would bat an eyelid. America was home to him, and even though he'd grown up speaking both English and Korean, he couldn't help but to wonder why his parents had decided to move back to South Korea out of the blue when all he had ever known was the States.

     It didn't help that he had been told to play host to the new student, considering that he himself had only been in college for a week. The new student, according to the floor's resident adviser, was due to move into Room 304 late Friday evening, which to Taemin's dismay, meant he'd be here very, very soon. It was already half past two in the afternoon. Taemin began to toy with the idea of spending the night out and leaving the new student to settle down himself, but he resented the idea of leaving his belongings in the room with a complete stranger. He sighed.  _Since I'm going to have to entertain some bloke later today, I might as well go grab something to eat first,_ he thought.  _Wouldn't wanna be cranky by the time the poor bloke arrives._ Taemin propped himself up, grabbing his wallet and keys off the bedside drawer before heading for the door.

 

     The streets of Seoul were cold that afternoon. Taemin muttered a curse under his breath that translated into a thin fog, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his olive green jacket. He regretted his decision of leaving the school's premise as soon as he set his foot beyond the gate, but couldn't be bothered to turn back now. He followed the pavement, turning a corner before walking through the doors of his usual spot; a small restaurant hidden in the folds of Seoul that sold his favourite Korean dish of kimchi ramen. He smiled at the waitress.

     "Welcome to Mukshidonna!" The waitress greeted in response, showing Taemin to his seat. Taemin sat down, rubbing his hands together before pointing to an item on the menu. Smiling sweetly, the waitress took his order promptly; she was familiar with both Taemin and the order that he usually placed, since Taemin was a creature of habit and rarely ever ate anything else there. Then she left Taemin to himself. He shifted quietly in his seat at the far end of the restaurant and looked around. For a Friday afternoon, the restaurant looked pretty busy, with only a handful of free tables here and there. Thank goodness he managed to get himself a table. He wouldn't have had the will to bother finding another place to dine in. He reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulling out a comic book that he had started reading the night before. He cracked the book open and began to read.

     Roughly ten pages in, the loud screech of a table being pushed out of formation distracted Taemin from his book. He looked up in search of the source of the painful screech when something, no,  _someone,_ caught his eye. Standing barely five metres ahead of him was a man of about his age; redheaded, pale and scrawny with a big black suitcase at his side. The man donned a stylish brown trenchcoat with tight, grey jeans and a red-and-black checkered scarf wrapped around his neck, concealing the bottom half of his face. He sat down, accidentally pushing the table out of position once more as he struggled with his suitcase. Taemin huffed, thinking nothing of it, before poking his nose into his book once again. Minutes later, the same waitress who took his order arrived at his table with a bowl of piping hot ramen, a bottle of soju, and a small glass. She served Taemin, smiling sweetly once more before turning to look at whatever it was that had the man's attention.

          "Friend of yours?" She asked, taking a step back. Taemin snapped out of his daze; he didn't even realise he had been in one; and smiled sheepishly.

          "Uh, no," he answered, pressing his thick lips together. "I don't know him."

     The waitress nodded politely, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh well. He looks cute. Anyway, enjoy your meal!"

     She moved off, attending to another patron at a table nearby. Taemin picked up his utensils and dug into his food, once again thinking nothing of anything. When he was done almost an hour later, he wiped his mouth with a paper napkin and got up, walking towards the counter. He pulled out his wallet and retrieved a few bills, handing them to the lady behind the counter who was busy punching keys into the cash register.

          "Busy day today, huh?" Taemin remarked, feeling proud of himself for being the one to initiate small talk for once. The lady nodded in response, placing his bills into the drawer of the cash register. She handed him some loose change and sighed.

          "Apparently there are a lot of new students moving into the college's dormitory next door," she shared. "My daughter stays on the second floor."

     Taemin followed the lady's gaze, now learning that the waitress was this lady's daughter. He grinned at the lady, stuffing his coins into one of the pockets on his jacket.

     "I didn't know she went to that college too." He kept his wallet and exited the restaurant, making his way back to the dormitory.

 

* * *

 

     Taemin quickened his pace as he walked towards the main gate of the college, not wanting to arrive at his room later than the new student would. He couldn't help but to notice the sound of wheels grating against the pavement following close behind him, but as he always did, he thought nothing of it. It wasn't until he felt a tap on his shoulder that he decided to turn around. He gasped.

          "Hello," the man greeted, his voice muffled by the scarf around his neck. Taemin sized the man up, wondering where he'd seen him before, before coming to a conclusion: It was the redhead with the suitcase from the restaurant. He forced a smile across his face, prompting the man to push something into his hands. He raised his brows.

          "You left this at the restaurant," the man said, handing Taemin his comic book. Taemin pulled the comic book to his chest, relieved. He hadn't even realised that he had taken off without it. He looked up at the man.

          "Thank you so much," he exclaimed, grinning at the book that was now pressed against his chest. "This comic book means a lot to me."

     He saw the man attempt a smile that was hidden behind his scarf, his cheeks rising. "No problem."

     Taemin tilted his head and nodded towards the man's suitcase. "Are you new here?"

     Dragging the black suitcase forward and retracting its handle, the man nodded.

          "Yeah. I'm from around town, but today's my, uh, first day of school." He swayed from side to side a little, turning his gaze from Taemin to the huge, daunting, copper channel letters that spelt out "Seoul International College" on the wall nextto the college's main gate. "What about you?"

     Taemin smiled as benevolently as he could manage.

          "I started here a week ago, so I'm kinda new too." He explained. "I'm Taemin, by the way."

     The man furrowed his brows. "What a coincidence. My new roommate's name is Taemin, too."

     Taemin froze.

          "Which room were you assigned?" He asked, a sense of urgency overpowering his tone.

          "Room 304."

      _Oh,_ Taemin interjected mentally.  _So you're the new guy._ He smiled brightly, holding his hand out for the man to shake it, pushing anxious thoughts to the back of his mind.

          "Howdy, roommate."

     The man, taken aback, shook his hand.

          "Wow. So you really are  _that_ Taemin," he uttered aloud. Taemin maintained his composure, not wanting to assume what the nameless man meant by that. He released the man's hand.

          "My name is Lee Hyukjae." The man continued. "It's nice to know our fates intertwined earlier than expected over a manga."

     Taemin nodded, trying as hard as he could to suppress his anxiety. "C'mon, let me show you around."

 

     The pair strolled onto the school's premise, wheels rolling, engaged in a conversation about their love for manga and ramen and how they had both ended up at the same restaurant earlier. They crossed the foyer and stopped at the elevator lobby of the dormitory building, waiting. There were a few other students, mostly female, waiting for the elevator near them. They began to murmur among themselves, eyeing Hyukjae from head to toe.  _Isn't that the new student?_ Taemin heard them gossip.  _What is he doing with THAT guy? Do they know each other?_ The elevator dinged and the doors split open. Hyukjae dragged his suitcase into the elevator, with Taemin and the other students following close behind. A brief silence ensued, giving rise to an awkward tension in the packed elevator. Taemin stared at the ground, pretending not to notice how a few of the girls from earlier were still stealing glances at Hyukjae, and practically glaring at him. The elevator ascended, and when it finally reached the third floor after what felt like eons, both Hyukjae and Taemin squeezed through the crowd as soon as the doors cracked open, suitcase in tow. Just before Hyukjae made it out of the elevator completely, a girl shouted towards him in a tone that basically screamed **WARNING**.

          "Hey, new kid! Stay away from Lee Taemin! He likes guys!"

     Hyukjae stopped in his tracks and turned around, amused.

          "That's great! We can be gay besties!" He yelled back satirically, right before the elevator door shut itself.

     Taemin continued walking, pretending he didn't just hear the redhead boldly express his sexual preference on his first day in college, although a part of him was glad he did. They passed a few rooms, some of which had their doors opened upon students finding out that the new student on the third floor had arrived. Heads turned, their eyes following the pair as they approached their room. Taemin had grown accustomed to all the unwanted staring and had learnt to ignore it from the third day of school onwards, but Hyukjae, on the other hand, felt obligated to smile and bow politely at every pair of eyes fixated on the two of them. They came to a halt in front of Room 304. Taemin punched in the passcode and waited for the click of the lock's mechanism, pushing the door open for his new roommate. The redhead dragged his huge, black suitcase into the room and looked around, awestruck.

          "Shit," Hyukjae cussed aloud, glossing his eyes over Taemin's side of the room. Taemin had decorated the walls on his side of the room with framed vinyls and abstract paintings, and on top of that, the space was well-furbished. A purple lava lamp glowed from the desktop of a computer table that separated the two living spaces, the light from the lamp emanating outwards, highlighting a framed family photo that stood next to it. Hyukjae looked from the comfy, thick, red comforters of Taemin's bed to the bare, white mattress on what was presumably his bed on his side of the room. He sighed.

          "I totally didn't think of bringing a blanket  _at all,"_ Hyukjae lamented, lying his suitcase on its side. He unzipped the suitcase and began searching through the items in it, frowning.

          "By the way, Taemin," he called out, his hands still rummaging through the contents of the suitcase. "is it true? Is what the girl said earlier, true?"

     Taemin crossed his arms, blinking awkwardly several times. "I don't know what you're talking about."

          "You know  _exactly_ what I'm talking about," Hyukjae countered, picking up a framed photograph of his own. "Are you gay?"

     Flustered, Taemin darted his eyes about, avoiding eye contact with the redhead.

          "Y-yeah," he stammered. "Uh actually n-n-no." He cleared his throat and straightened his back, faking confidence.

          "I like guys  _and_  girls. Sometimes the former more than the latter," he elaborated, lifting his chin in a very superficial, arrogant manner. "And what about it?"

     Hyukjae rose, walking towards the computer table. He placed his photo frame next to Taemin's, the two frames separated only by the purple lava lamp. Then he turned to Taemin, lolling his head back.

          "Just wanted you to know you aren't alone, that's all. The kids here seem pretty nasty," Hyukjae reassured and began to unravel the scarf that kept half his face hidden. "Don't you find the room kinda hot?"

     Th red-and-black fleece scarf that once curled around Hyukjae's neck like a snake fell to the floor, revealing the redhead's full face. Taemin's eyes widened. It was the first time that he'd seen what the redhead really looked like since he first took notice of him at the restaurant, now that the scarf was out of the way. He drew his attention to the features that adorned Hyukjae's pale skin like he was some sort of artwork. He had a wide forehead and thick, messy brows that were a deep shade of brown, hinting at his original hair colour. His eyes were asymmetrical; his left eye was a tad bit rounder than his right, but both eyes glistened beneath identical single lids. He had high cheekbones that guarded his round, button nose left and right, and a pair of plump lips gathered in the middle of the bottom half of his face in a slight pout. Light that made it through the sheer curtains of the room's only window bounced off the parts of Hyukjae's face that stuck out, highlighting them. Something about the redhead struck Taemin right in the heart. He was  _beautiful_.

          "Taemin?"

          "Huh?"

     The redhead blinked at Taemin, quickly snapping the blond out of his daydream.

          "Did you hear what I said?" Hyukjae asked, picking up his scarf.

     Taemin shut the door gently, taking off his shoes and socks before throwing himself onto his bed. He shook his head, studying the ceiling.

          "Sorry," he apologised, his voice small. "Mind repeating yourself?"

     The redhead rolled his eyes, rolling his scarf into a ball. "Hold on."

     Hyukjae returned to his suitcase, dumping the balled scarf and taking off his trench coat, wearing only a thin black t-shirt underneath. He combined two neatly folded piles of clothing into one, lifting it up and advancing towards the dark, wooden closet stood in the corner in his half of the room. Hyukjae struggled to pull the door open, the tall pile of clothing in his arms threatening to topple over. He stuck his leg out, creating a makeshift stopper to prevent the doors from shutting completely. Then he looked over at his roommate, who was now lying on his belly with his arms tucked under his chin. Hyukjae swayed a little, maintaining his balance and preventing the pile of fabric nestled in his arms from falling. Clearly the blond was in his own world, completely unaware of his new roommate's tussle with the closet.

          "A little help here," Hyukjae called out with his foot wedged in between the doors of the closet.

     Once again snapping out of his personal thought bubble cum daydream, Taemin looked at his new roommate and sprung out of his bed, rushing forward to help the man. He pulled the closet doors wide open and grabbed Hyukjae by the shoulders as if to help steady the man, an odd tingling sensation charging through his veins upon skin contact. Both of them jump back, clearing their throats sheepishly. They diverted their attention to the closet in front of them. Taemin had taken the liberty of leaving literally half the closet empty for his new roommate to use, the visible split indicated by a bright yellow tape that marked the inside of the closet like a crack down the middle. The right half of the closet had been utilised to its maximum potential; most of Taemin's outfits hung from his half of the rack with several piles of folded apparels hiding underneath.

     Taemin took an instinctive step back, giving the redhead more leeway to move about as he unpacked his things. He observed quietly as the redhead traveled to and fro between his suitcase and the closet, gradually filling up his side. Even though only slightly over a week had passed since he first moved into the dormitory, he had already begun to feel lonely and out of place, especially after news of his sexual orientation got out and started getting passed around like some sort of horrific game of Pass The Parcel that made him the target of the masses. It felt nice having someone who, for starters, did not give a single hoot what his sexual preferences were (and being openly gay himself at that) as company, and on top of that, shared similar interests. A tidal wave of relief washed over him; perhaps having been appointed the task of showing his new roommate around wouldn't be so bad after all.

          "So as I was saying," Hyukjae started, taking them back to the conversation he had attempted to start right before Taemin had gone into one of his weird trances, "you speak Korean with an accent. Couldn't figure out the accent though. Are you from around here, or..."

          "Ah. No. I was born in America," Taemin replied, punctuating the end of his sentence with a soft smile. The redhead slowly nodded an implied  _oh, no wonder_ and continued unpacking, placing the last of his apparels and hangers in the closet before shutting the doors. He turned around. 

          "Are people more, uh, how should I put it...accepting towards people like  _us_ in America?" Hyukjae wondered aloud. Unable to conceal how unprepared he was for the sudden diversion of topic, a look of surprise took over Taemin's expression. He looked around the room awkwardly, trying as best as he could to maintain a straight face while the neurons in his brain darted about frantically in search of a way to respond to the redhead's question. Mental images of the people who used to harass him for being a minority in high school back in America fleeted in his mind like wandering spirits. He recalled his experiences, pursing his lips.  _They bullied me for being Asian, but I don't think anyone ever said anything about my sexuality,_ he concluded in his subconscious, contemplating whether or not to tell the redhead that. He walked over to his bed and sat down.

          "They definitely are!" He shared, sounding almost too excitable, as if talking about America brought about some sort of mix of nostalgia and happiness. "I never got bullied for being _openly bi,_ although I did get bullied for other reasons. Maybe that was what made me assume I could openly talk about swinging both ways here. Worst fucking decision  _ever_. I wouldn't recommend it; not that it matters though, considering you basically let the entire hall know you're gay when we got out of the lift."

     Hyukjae laughed, taking a seat on his bed. "Don't worry. I'm not the kind of person who gives a fuck what anyone thinks of me."

          "I can  _see_ that."

          "You seem to care what others think, though." Hyukjae remarked, deadpan.

      Taemin shot the man a sideways glance. He felt relatively insulted that the redhead, who he barely knows, would make such an accusation. A small part of him even felt like the accusation stripped him bare of self-defence and left him vulnerable to some degree. He was so used to solitude and constantly being on guard since he'd moved to Seoul several months back that he wasn't sure how to handle the vulnerability, but something about the way the redhead stared back at him made him feel like it was safe for him to let his guard down. He sighed.

          "Maybe I do," he admitted, hanging his head. "I'm not exactly good at being.....likable." He turned, looking Hyukjae straight in the eye, anticipating a response of some sort. Any sort. Instead, Hyukjae simply smiled, lying down with his hands behind his head.

          "Well I'm glad we're roommates then," he said, staring straight at the ceiling with a smug look swept across his face. "I'd be more than glad to teach you the beautiful art of not giving a single fuck."

     He turned on his side, back facing Taemin. "I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up in about an hour, please. I wanna explore the place a bit."

     Taemin nodded, more as a form of affirmation to himself and a reminder to take his new roommate on a little tour around the college than to acknowledge the redhead's instructions. Hyukjae drifted off, soft snoring escaping the gap between his parted lips as he slept. The silence (apart from Hyukjae's snoring) beckoned a myriad of thoughts to bloom in Taemin's mind like flowers in spring. He leaned forward with his hands clasped together, staring at Hyukjae's back and frowned.  _For god's sake, Lee Taemin,_ he cussed himself,  _don't fall for every person who shows you the slightest bit of kindness._


	2. Unchartable Territory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love blooms within the dormitory, akin to how flowers bloom in spring after a mercilessly cold winter. Unfortunately, none of this happens to Taemin's advantage. The blond is forced into acknowledging that the flora that begins to grow from inside his cold heart will never be watered, and that he would instead have to witness the love of his life watering someone else's plant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **TRIGGER WARNING: COARSE LANGUAGE**  
>  If you haven't already guessed, this piece is titled "Electric" because that's the track that comes before "Who Waits For Love" on SHINee's album, The Story of Light. The lyrics of Electric also fit the theme of this piece, so I highly encourage you to search it up before reading this. In Who Waits For Love, I gave Hyukjae and Donghae's story a background to give readers an idea of what led Hyukjae to his plight, but felt that I didn't quite give Taemin a proper backstory. I hope this piece develops the history between Taemin and Hyukjae better (to prepare you for the sequel) and explains why Taemin's view of Donghae later leads to his resentment towards the latter.
> 
> Also, this piece is likely going to be written as a chaptered fic, but I'll try my best to keep it succinct. There will most likely be three chapters in total, and I plan to add the other two chapters later, one chapter a week. Let me know what you think of it in the comments so I have a better idea of how to draft out the final sequel.

     Amazing what the passing of a single day, let alone a month, could do to the dynamics of a relationship between two people. School had become a lot less insufferable since the day Taemin had welcomed his new roommate into his life, and he wasn't sure who to thank. He knew Hyukjae was completely unaware of how much of an impact his sudden appearance had on Taemin's life, and he knew it was something he had to keep secret, at least for a while more. Surely professing one's gratitude after only two weeks of knowing each other would scare the bejesus out of the redhead, and Taemin didn't want to risk it. He turned the page of his textbook, shaking off the thought and trying his absolute hardest to focus on the wall of text in front of him. As much as he hated school, he had no intention on flunking his first test in college. Thank god his teacher had been kind enough to cancel his lessons for the week so that students had the time to actually  _study_ for the test instead of pretending to pay attention within the four walls of a classroom. Taemin scanned the lines of text over and over, struggling to absorb the information laid out before him. He tried to fight off the looping memories of Hyukjae smiling and laughing with him as he took the redhead on a tour around the college premises.  _I'm glad I get to be roommates with you,_ the redhead had said while kicking about in the snow scattered all over the school field. Taemin, who was not used to any form of kindness except from his family, could only smile in return, unsure of how else to react.  _I have a feeling you and I will get along as more than just roommates._

Just then, Hyukjae burst into the room, doubled over and panting heavily. Taemin turned around and looked at the redhead with a quizzical look across his face. Sensing danger, he closed his textbook and sprung off his chair, kneeling by Hyukjae's side.

          "Hyukjae, what happened?!" Taemin asked, a sense of worry and urgency echoing in his words. Hyukjae continued to pant, bent over with his hands on his knees. He raised one hand as if to tell Taemin  _wait,_ and then burst into a loud belly laugh. Throwing his head back, he let loose, chortling. Taemin, who was at first extremely sceptical and confused, eventually joined in. How could he not? Hyukjae had a very contagious laughter, and an infectious gummy smile that went along with it. Taemin laughed and waited for some sort of explanation from his redheaded friend, but to no avail. He stopped laughing abruptly and grabbed Hyukjae's arm.

          "Hyukjae ah," he called out, his eyes doubling in size. "Uh, what exactly are we laughing at?"

     Hyukjae cleared his throat, regaining his composure. He straightened his back and smoothened his t-shirt, a proud and extremely smug look washing over his face.

          "I was at the laundry room, and I saw Jaejin—the kid who made fun of you for being bi last week—dumping his tighty-whities into one of the washing machines," Hyukjae began to explain, struggling to suppress a grin, "and after he presses the button, he leaves the laundry room. I wanted to play a prank on him to take revenge on your behalf, y'know, so I dropped some red food colouring into the machine. Couldn't help but to laugh, really. Then Jaejin comes back and catches me laughing in front of his washing machine and—man you should've seen the look on his face when he saw all his shit turning  _pink—"_

Taemin stood up with a look of disbelief on his face. "You...you did  _what?"_

          "Turned his tighty-whities pink, that's what."

          "But Hyukjae, Jaejin will  _kill_ us. He knows you're my roommate and he  _hates_ me." Taemin began to pace up and down, anxious. He bit his lip, ruffling his hair with both hands. He wasn't prepared for the potential showdown that might happen, considering that he was the kind of person who preferred staying out of trouble altogether anyway. Hyukjae frowned, guilt-ridden by how his roommate was reacting. He certainly wasn't reacting the way Hyukjae thought he would. Hyukjae stepped in front of Taemin, putting his hands on the blond's shoulders.

          "Lee Taemin. Look at me." He widened his eyes, glaring intently into Taemin's eyes. "It's a prank. Relax. All I did was turn his underwear pink. He won't kill us, or at least, he won't kill  _you."_

Shaking his head vigorously, Taemin swallowed and struggled out of the redhead's grip. "Still! I don't want either of us to get into trouble!"

          "We won't."

          "How do you know?!"

          " _Because—"_ Hyukjae paused, retrieving something from his back pocket. "I've got dirt on him."

He dangled a chain in front of Taemin's face, raising his brows. Taemin closed in to inspect the chain further. At the end of the chain, there was a pendant; not just any pendant, but something very odd and familiar...

"What the fuck." Taemin grimaced. "Why the fuck do you have a butt plug on a chain in your pocket? Wait. Wait don't tell me _—_ hold on,  _what the fuck?_ Where did you get that from?!"

Hyukjae swung the chain and caught the pendant with his palm, smirking. "Found it in a pair of jeans in a basket in front of Jaejin's washing machine. It's his, Taemin. It's  _his."_

Taemin contorted his body in disgust, sticking out his tongue. "Dude, what the fuck! Get that thing away from me!" He dashed towards his bed and sat down on the edge, creasing his forehead. Hyukjae didn't have to explain anything; Taemin knew that the god forsaken item he had found in Jaejin's jeans insinuated that the man was into weird, kinky,  _rear-related_ shit, and that it was ironic, considering that each time Jaejin picked on Taemin, he'd tease Taemin for being into bumming. Nonetheless, Taemin wanted nothing to do with the prank at all. He'd always been the sort to retaliate to bullying and name-calling with nothing but silence. He didn't believe in taking revenge. Not one bit.

"Anyway, I left a note in his laundry basket. Told him I had something that was his and that if he tries to pick on you again, I'd make it hell for him." Hyukjae tossed the chain into the bin underneath the computer desk, dusting his hands. He walked over to Taemin's bed and sat next to the blond who, at the moment, was massaging his temples. He wrapped his arm around Taemin and laughed, rubbing Taemin's shoulder.

"Nobody will dare to do anything to you anymore, Taemin ah. Not with me around."

The redhead's words raised the hairs on the back of Taemin's neck. Taemin moved away, shooting Hyukjae a look. Inside, his heart was palpitating at the speed of light; he was so unused to kindness or being defended in any way that Hyukjae's words bounced about in his mind like a tennis ball, blanketing him in an odd mix of discomfort and reassurance. On the outside, however, he glared at Hyukjae, slack-jawed.

"Uh, by the way, Hyukjae," Taemin strayed, changing the subject. "I'll be going home over the weekends to celebrate Chuseok with my family. Will you be going home too this weekend?"

Hyukjae rubbed the back of his head. He turned to Taemin, picking at the dry skin on his lip.

"I realised I've never told you this, but _—_ " Hyukjae paused briefly, trailing his eyes over the empty bed space in between them. " _—_ I don't have a home to go to."

     Taemin froze, unsure of what to say in response. His mind began to jump to conclusions; had he accidentally walked himself into some sort of unspoken sensitive subject with that question? Was this something you shouldn't ask friends unless you knew about their background? Had he accidentally reopened an unhealed wound by asking Hyukjae about his Chuseok plans? While forcing himself to look as calm as possible on the outside, internally, Taemin panicked. He'd gotten so used to the life of solitude that he struggled with social situations to a certain degree, and it hadn't occurred to him how bad his social skills were right until that moment. Or perhaps he was being too critical of himself. He didn't know what to think. The silence remained for too long of a moment for HYukjae to ignore it. He touched Taemin's lap gently.

"Don't worry, it isn't something I avoid talking about at all." Hyukjae smiled reassuringly. "It's just that I haven't gone home to my parents ever since I came out to them three years ago. They kinda kicked me out for, y'know, being gay."

"Shit, sorry to hear that," Taemin finally cracked, sinking his shoulders. His eyes fell to his lap, where Hyukjae's hand was. "Where have you been living then?"

Hyukjae's smile dissolved into a thin, flat line. He retracted his hand and clasped his hands together, resting them on his own lap. "I've been moving around, renting places here and there. It's been tough." He swallowed, hanging his head, before turning to look at his blond roommate with a renewed optimism painted across his face.

"On the bright side, now I live here!" He exclaimed, a little too excitedly for Taemin's liking. "At least now I have a home for Chuseok, even if it's just you and me here, and mostly me being here alone on holidays."

Taemin's heart sank. He didn't know what to do; was he supposed to offer a word of comfort? Give the redhead a hug? Reassure the man that everything would be fine eventually, and that his family would welcome him with open eyes soon enough? He cussed himself for being so bad with social cues.

"Why don't you come home with me for Chuseok?" He blurted out. As soon as the words left his mouth, his mind launched itself into chaos. Anxiety swallowed him like quicksand. He regretted being so careless with his words, yet somewhere deep down, he wished Hyukjae would agree to  it. However, the ominous look on Hyukjae's face; a heavy frown with a wrinkled forehead; ate away at his glimmer of hope. Hyukjae leaned forward.

"Are you sure your family wouldn't mind?" Hyukjae waited for an answer, pursing his lips. Taken aback, Taemin contemplated, running his thumb across his lips.  _Should I say they don't mind and just call them later to let them know?_ He wondered.  _Or should I call them later and just tell Hyukjae they said no, regardless of what they say, and pretend I never offered in the first place? Ugh. Taemin you're a fucking idiot._ He tilted his head and smiled at Hyukjae. Perhaps a larger part of him wanted Hyukjae to spend the holiday with him and his family after all.

          "Of course not! Why would they mind?" Taemin laughed nervously. "Besides, it's just my parents and I. Plus my parents are really open. They're aware I'm as straight as a roller-coaster track, meaning  _not at all,_ so you're not going to have to tiptoe around them either. It'd be nice for them to know who I'm bunking with in school, anyway." His nervous laughter morphs into a look of uncertainty and hopefulness, spurred by Hyukjae's unchanging expression. He kept his lips sealed, allowing silence to engulf them both once more. Hyukjae, on the other hand, had begun to fidget in his lap, looking down. He nodded quietly, probably in response to some sort of internal conversation he was having in his conscience. Hyukjae looked up and binked several times.

          "Give them a call and ask first, okay?" He reminded, getting onto his feet. "I... I don't mind coming along with you, but only with their permission. I'm already on bad terms with my own parents. Wouldn't wanna be on bad terms with anyone else's."

     Hyukjae walked over to his side of the room, hastily picking up a stack of books.

          "Anyway, I'm late for class. I'll see you later, Taemin."

     Taemin nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes following the back of the redhead until he disappeared beyond the door. He picked up his phone and decided to call his parents right away, not wanting to miss out on the opportunity of introducing his newfound friend to them. Somewhere deep down in his heart, something was blooming. He just didn't know what yet.

 

* * *

 

     The phone rang, once, twice, several times before reaching voicemail. The female voice of an automated answering machine greeted from the other end of the line.

          "The number you have called is not available. Please try again later," it said, followed by a beep and then an off-hook tone. Taemin tried again, redialing his mother's office number instead. He waited anxiously, leaning against the railing of the balcony. For some strange reason, he was desperate to get through to his parents, to let them in on his plan of bringing a friend over for Chuseok. He didn't know what it was about Hyukjae that made him feel like he wanted to protect him, honestly. As playful as the redhead was, he had an air of mystery to him; he never revealed too much about himself or his background and past. Perhaps he didn't know how to. The only thing Taemin was sure of was that hidden in the cracks of the redhead's voice earlier that morning, there was fear.  _Are you sure your family wouldn't mind?_ The redhead had asked, hesitant.  _Give them a call and ask first, okay?_ Taemin recalled the look on the redhead's face; the man had gone from cheeky and upbeat to dark and melancholic at the mention of family and home.  _I'm already on bad terms with my own family. Wouldn't wanna be on bad terms with anyone else's._ The line rang a few more times, followed by an audible click. A soothing voice begin to speak.

          "Hello? Taemin ah," said the voice. Taemin's cheeks rose.

          "Eomma!" He greeted brightly, unable to control his grin. It had been a while since he'd last heard his mother's voice; he wasn't the sort of person to have made calling home a daily habit, and even if he had, it wouldn't guarantee that either of his parents would have had the time to pick up his calls anyway. His father worked on a ship and would remain uncontactable for days when he went on one of his voyages, and his mother worked in a bank. Of course, it wasn't important to him that they couldn't answer his calls as often as either of them wanted to anyway. His parents had always been the hardworking sort, and despite that, they'd always showered him with love and affection growing up.

          "How are you, my son?" Taemin's mother asked, the faint noise of files being stacked audible in the distance.

     Taemin anchored his elbow on the railing for leverage, hitting at what had felt like an ant bite on his ankle with his free hand.

          "Good, good," he replied, straightening his back. "Are you doing well, Eomma?"

     His mother smiled, exhaling into the speaker. "I'm doing well, sweetheart. It gets a bit lonely but I've been going to your aunt's place for company some nights. Don't you have class today, Taemin?"

          "Nope." Taemin paused briefly.  _Oh yeah,_ _I almost forgot the real reason why I'm calling her._ "Jungsoo-seonsaengnim canceled classes this week so we can study for next week's test. Anyway, Eomma, I have something to ask you."

     The line became silent. Sensing that his mother was waiting for him to elaborate, Taemin took a deep breath, ignoring his racing heart.

          "So I have this good friend. He's my roommate. His name is Hyukjae."

          "Mmhm...?"

          "And I asked him whether he'd be going home for Chuseok this weekend, but he said he hasn't seen his parents in three years because they kicked him out for being—" He hesitated. "—for being  _gay._ "

     Taemin's mother gasped into the phone, shocked at what her son had just shared.

          "Oh no, dear," she lamented. "That sounds bad."

     Taemin nodded, brushing his blond fringe back. "I know, I know. So anyway, I was wondering... Would you and Appa be okay with me bringing Hyukjae over to join us for Chuseok? I mean... I just feel really bad that almost everybody in the dormitory will be returning home for the holiday except him. He's new here; well, newer than me at least; and he's a really nice friend and everything and I was just wondering if you and Appa would mind welcoming him like second family because—"

          "Taemin ah."

          "—I feel like he's been on his own for so long and after all Chuseok is a family—"

          "Taemin sweetheart. Listen." Taemin's mother lowered her voice, sounding more firm than before. "Your Appa and I would be more than delighted if you brought home company. Don't worry about it, okay?"

     Relief washed over Taemin. He kicked about excitedly, happy that his mother had given permission for him to invite Hyukjae over.

          "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Taemin danced around, feeling like he'd emerged from some sort of mental tussle victoriously. On one hand, he felt like his reaction was an overreaction; why was he so relieved his mother had given him the permission to bring Hyukjae over, anyway? On the other hand, it didn't matter why he was extremely relieved. All that mattered to him was that Hyukjae had company over the holiday, at the very least.

          "But... Taemin ah," his mother's voice crackled through the speaker once more, "is there something you want to tell me about this Hyukjae boy? You've never brought a ma—uh— _friend_ home before."

     Like a deer in headlights, Taemin froze, frowning.  _Oh yeah. I've never brought a friend home, ever._ He turned, combing his fingers through his hair.  _What makes Hyukjae so special?_

"Eomma, I—"

     Just then, the sound of the doorbell being pressed repeatedly echoed through the room. Taemin hesitated, looking from his phone to the front door and back again. He shuffled in his place before deciding to check who rang the door.

          "Eomma, I'm going to have to call you back, okay? I'll talk to you about it later. Someone's at the door."

     Taemin hurried towards the front door, sliding his phone into his back pocket. He furrowed his brows, annoyed that whoever that had been behind the incessant doorbell ringing had moved onto rapping on the door continuously instead. He stopped at the door, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He hated having his peace disturbed, among other things. At that very moment, he wished that whoever that had decided on what kind of doors to install in the dormitory had chosen to install doors with peepholes instead.  _I swear to god, if it's Hyukjae behind the door because he forgot the password I'll—_ Taemin exhaled. He unlatched the door, pulling it open. The person on the other side of the door wasn't someone he'd expected at all.

          "Hello," the shorter man greeted, smiling benevolently. Taemin tilted his head in response, scrunching his nose as he attempted to recall where he'd seen this man before. Within seconds, he sized the man up; the man had tan, sun-kissed skin and a head full of dark brown wavy locks that accentuated his devilishly handsome features. He had a slightly muscular build, and shoulders too broad for a man of his size, at least in Taemin's opinion. Quickly glossing his eyes over the rest of the man, he realised that the man was dressed in pajamas and had a book nestled in between his side and one of his elbows. The man cleared his throat.

          "Um, is this where Hyuk...Hyuk..." He trailed off, looking around as if he was searching for the end to his sentence. Thankfully, Taemin caught on fast.

          "Hyukjae?" Taemin finished for the man, forcing a smile onto his face. "Yep, this is where he lives, alright. I'm his roommate. Can I help you?"

     The man blinked his eyes sheepishly in a bid to hide his embarrassment, the reddened tips of his ears blowing his cover. He took the book from under his arm and held it towards Taemin, pursing his lips. Taemin took the book from him, creasing his forehead. He scanned the cover; on the front of the paperback, there is an image of an oil painting depicting a couple dressed in olden day clothing, standing at a balcony. He read the title of the book, typeset in some sort of Victorian font: "Romeo and Juliet". Taemin looked from the book to the man standing in front of me, puzzled.

          "Uh, I'm Donghae. I live in Room 311," the man, who now has a name, introduced himself. "Your friend ran into me two hours ago in front of my room and dropped his books. He seemed like he was in a rush, so he picked everything up except—except this one. Could you give it to him?"

          "Sure thing." Taemin placed the book on a shelf next to the door and turned back to Donghae, leaning against the door. "Anything else?"

    Donghae blinked perpetually, stealing a glance at the interior of Taemin's room. He shook his head, awkwardly putting his arms behind his back.

          "That's all. Thank—"

          "No problem," Taemin interrupted, closing the door even though he saw Donghae's attempt to stop him. He looked at the book on the shelf and sneered. He never really took notice of who lived on the same floor as he did since he mostly lumped everyone together in a pile labeled "People Who've Called Me All Sorts of Derogatory Names" at the back of his mind, so it was no surprise he had a difficult time recalling where he'd seen Donghae despite the brunet living only seven rooms away on the same floor. Thinking nothing of the book and his slight brush with the brunet, Taemin jumped onto his bed, taking out his phone to call his mother a second time and finished the conversation that they'd left hanging. Keying in his mother's number, Taemin waited as the phone rang several times, only to reach the automated answering machine instead. He tried several more times, but to no avail. Cussing at the fact that his little moment with his mother on the phone earlier had been interrupted by a book return— _god damn it do I look like some sort of library—_ Taemin chucked his phone aside and decided to take a short nap instead. He tossed and turned, eventually drifting off into a deep sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

          "Lee Taemin, wake up. Hey, Lee Taemin, wake up!"

    Taemin groaned, rolling onto his belly. He reached for a pillow and placed it over the back of his head, hoping that it would drown out the noise of the redhead's nagging.

          "For goodness sake, wake up, Taemin! Have you been sleeping since I left for class or something?!" Hyukjae badgered, ripping the blanket off the blond. He sat on the edge of Taemin's bed, holding the man by his hip, shaking him. Taemin groaned and kicked his legs as if to warn Hyukjae, not that the redhead cared anyway. Hyukjae continued shaking the man until finally, Taemin crawled out from under the pillow. He sat up.

          "Jesus! I thought you were dead!" Hyukjae exaggerated, irritated. The sky overlooking the college had turned a bright mix of amber and pink, signaling the near end of a day. To his dismay, Taemin had been sleeping for nearly four hours. He tutted, annoyed at the fact that he'd wasted his day in bed when he could've been studying for the test instead. Taemin lolled his head back, swaying his head from left to right in an attempt to loosen the tension in his neck. He looked at the clock on the wall. It read 6:23 PM, which meant that it was almost dinner time and that the cafeteria would have most likely filled up by now. His eyes searched for the room for something, something he was supposed to give to Hyukjae. He paused, staring at the shelf next to the front door.  _Oh, right._

          "Your friend dropped by just now," Taemin mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Said you dropped something and forgot to pick it up."

    Hyukjae frowned. "Friend? The only friend I have is you. What are you..." Hyukjae's eyes followed the blond. Taemin climbed off the bed, taking several large steps towards the front door. He retrieved something from the wooden shelf that was mounted into the wall next to the frame of the front door and returned to Hyukjae's side, handing the item to him. It was a book. Hyukjae stared.

          "Donghae from Room 311 came by earlier in the afternoon. He said something about you bumping into him or something. Apparently you dropped your stuff and forgot to pick this one up."

          "I didn't... I don't have a copy of Romeo and Juliet..." Hyukjae began to flip through the book, confused. Then he stopped at one of the page; page 311; a scribble of words at the top corner of the page catching his eye. As he glossed his eye over the words, his pale cheeks began to flush a bright pink. He closed the book, holding it to his chest. He bit his lips.

    Taemin blinked his eyes. "What is it?"

          "Look."

    Receiving the open book from Hyukjae, Taemin skimmed across the pages. He paused, taking notice of the messy Hangul scrawled at the top of one of the pages:

 

           _Hello! Remember me? I'm the one you bumped into this morning in front of my room. I wasn't brave enough to tell you this, but I found you really cute. I've heard the rumours that go around about you and your roommate, and I just want to tell you that...I'm the same. I'm shooting my shot. I was just wondering... Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? If yes, meet me at the laundry room at 7. I'll be waiting, xx_

 

     Taemin closed the book, frowning. For some reason, deep down, he felt uneasy. He closed the book and returned it to Hyukjae, careful not to let his discomfort show on his face. Smiling at the redhead, Taemin clasped his hands together, drooping his head to his side.

          "Wow," he whispered, almost deadpan. "Are you going to meet him then?"

    Hyukjae darted his eyes, uncertain. "I don't know. Should I?" He cracked the page open to page 311 again, a soft smile spreading across his face as he read the messy handwriting over and over. He traced a finger over the letters, biting his lip once more. His heart was racing. On the other hand, Taemin, who had been watching his redheaded friend all this while, worked hard to stifle a sigh. Jealousy began to pool in his chest like the water in a plunge pool. He couldn't let the redhead know that, of course.  _Sound excited,_ he told himself.

          "Of course you should!" Taemin exclaimed, beaming. "I saw the man. He's really good-looking. I mean, I don't know anything about him apart from that, but that's for you to find out, isn't it?"

    A brief silence ensued. Hyukjae leaned forward, studying his blond-haired friend's expression. He furrowed his brows.

          "What?" Taemin asked, shifting uncomfortably. Hyukjae shook his head.

          "Nothing," the redhead answered shortly, straightening his back. "You don't look too happy for me."

     _Shit,_ Taemin thought to himself.  _I'm fucking terrible at hiding how I really feel. Think of something, Taemin. Something. Anything._ He scrunched his nose and blinked his eyes slowly, pretending he was still sleepy. Reaching his hand out to touch the redhead on the shoulder, he pursed his lips together, faking a weary expression.

          "I am," he murmured, yawning. "Probably just too tired to show it. You should go get ready."

    Hyukjae hesitated. He closed in on Taemin, staring intently into the blond's eyes. With his face mere inches away from Taemin's, he smirked.

          "I know what's happening," Hyukjae whispered. "You like..."

    Taemin held his breath.

          "...Donghae. You're just pretending you've never noticed him because you don't want me to know that. I'm right, aren't I?!"

    Taemin sank his shoulders, relieved. A part of him was glad Hyukjae was too ignorant to notice the truth. Throwing his hands into the air, Taemin surrendered, playing along with the redhead's assumption. 

          "You got me," he grinned. "I used to have a miniscule crush on that man, but I figured after a while that he isn't my type. He's all yours. Now for the love of god,  _please_ just go get ready and meet the man in front of a washing machine or something."

    Hyukjae laughed, standing up. He walked over to his bed and placed the book on his pillow, pulling his blanket over it as if tucking it to sleep. He fetched a towel from the wardrobe and started walking towards the bathroom.

          "By the way," Taemin blurted aloud just as Hyukjae set his foot into the bathroom. Hyukjae halted in his tracks, turning around.

          "I called my mom earlier. She said she'd be delighted to have you over for Chuseok."

    The redhead smiled. "Thank you."

          He disappeared behind the bathroom door, and once again the room was silent.


	3. Without a Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, the things closest to you, remain out of reach no matter how hard you try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **TRIGGER WARNING: COARSE LANGUAGE**  
>  If you haven't already guessed, this piece is titled "Electric" because that's the track that comes before "Who Waits For Love" on SHINee's album, The Story of Light. The lyrics of Electric also fit the theme of this piece, so I highly encourage you to search it up before reading this. In Who Waits For Love, I gave Hyukjae and Donghae's story a background to give readers an idea of what led Hyukjae to his plight, but felt that I didn't quite give Taemin a proper backstory. I hope this piece develops the history between Taemin and Hyukjae better (to prepare you for the sequel) and explains why Taemin's view of Donghae later leads to his resentment towards the latter.
> 
> Also, this piece is likely going to be written as a chaptered fic, but I'll try my best to keep it succinct. There will most likely be three chapters in total, and I plan to add the other two chapters later, one chapter a week. Let me know what you think of it in the comments so I have a better idea of how to draft out the final sequel.

    Days, weeks, months,  _years_ passed. One Sunday morning, Taemin sat at the computer desk, quietly reading a book. Rays of sunlight make it past the translucent bedroom curtains, painting his skin a bright yellow as he read his book line by line, embracing the emotions that the writer had sewn seamlessly into the fictional story. Behind him, Hyukjae was rummaging through his side of the wardrobe, searching for a top that would match his pants. He retrieved a folded yellow sweater from the bottom of the wardrobe and slipped it on, taking a step back to admire himself in the full-length mirror next to the wardrobe. Smiling, he combed his fingers through his hair, teasing it in all the right places. He looked over at the blond.

          "Taemin ah," he called out, waiting for the blond to swivel around in his chair. When he didn't, Hyukjae walked over to the computer desk, slamming his hands down. Taemin jumped in his chair, startled.

          "What the hell was that for?!" He yelled, rubbing his chest in an attempt to calm his racing heart. He adjusted his reading glasses and slipped a bookmark into his book before closing it. Then he turned his chair to face the redhead, who was standing next to him with his arms folded and a worried look slapped across his face.

          "You didn't hear me the first time. Anyway, are you sure you're going to be okay on your own for the holidays?"

    Taemin leaned back in his chair, perplexed by the redhead's sudden question. He knew he'd be okay; he'd always been okay on his own. In fact, by now, he'd gotten accustomed to it, even after Hyukjae and him had grown close in the years that passed. Despite their closeness, Taemin always reminded himself to draw a clear line; he trusted no one, not even himself, and as hard as it was, he forced himself not to trust the redhead either. He knew himself too well, and he was well-aware of his terrible habit of clinging onto anyone,  _anyone_ that showed him even the slightest bit of kindness. He didn't want to make Hyukjae an exception.

          "I'll be fine," he answered simply, smiling faintly. "It's not like it's the first time, anyway."

    Sensing the bitterness in his friends voice, Hyukjae punched Taemin's shoulder playfully.

          "C'mon, don't be like that." He caressed the blond's cheek tenderly, smiling. "I promise I'll spend more time with you after I'm back from my holiday with Donghae. I won't be gone for long anyway. Just a week."

    Walking over to the big black suitcase on the floor in front of his bed, Hyukjae bent down, zipping it up. He lifted the suitcase upright and held its handle, yanking it upwards to extend its length. Taking one last look at his side of the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything before going on his holiday, Hyukjae nodded to himself, mentally ticking away at some sort of checklist he imagined in his head. He pulled the black suitcase towards the front door before putting on his shoes. Just then, Taemin got up from his seat and walked over, leaning against the door. He watched as the redhead laced up his shoes.

          "It better just be a week," Taemin warned playfully. "Otherwise I'll never forgive you. I still haven't forgiven you for pulling out of our plan of celebrating Chuseok with my parents two years ago."

    Finishing the last knot, Hyukjae rose to his feet, putting his hands on his hips.

          "Okay, first of all," he began, "the Chuseok thing was  _your_ idea. I didn't promise anything. And besides, if I had gone, I wouldn't have gone on that date to the amusement park with Donghae, and you and I both know how much of a turning point that date was for the both of us, although seeing how petty you've been since then  _does_ make me wish I had gone home with you for Chuseok. Secondly, I swear to god, if you keep up the petty behaviour, I'll ask for a new roommate!"

    Tutting in response, Taemin opened the front door and stood with his arms outstretched, waiting for the redhead to embrace him. Hyukjae hugged him tightly, rubbing his back.

          "I was just kidding," Taemin said, pulling away from the redhead's tight embrace. "Have fun in Switzerland, Hyukjae. Not too much fun, though. I might get jealous."

    Hyukjae snorted, grabbing onto the handle of his suitcase. He dragged it behind him, strolling out of the dormitory room.

          "Love you!" Taemin yelled as he watched the redhead leave. Hyukjae didn't answer though; he never had, and in the years to come, Taemin would learn that perhaps, he never would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the prequel to Who Waits For Love, since many of you asked for it! This means we're left with the sequel. Do leave a comment to let me know what aspects of my writing/the story line you like/dislike so I can improve my writing for the prequel! :-)


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